Perambulator.



A. C. CUNNINGHAM.

PERANIBULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1915.

1,197,014. l Patentedsept. 5, 19116.L

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A. C. CUNNINGHAM.

PERANIBULATOR.

APPucATmN FILED MAR.15,'1915.

1,1 97,014. Patentedept. 5,1916.

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PERAMBULATOR.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application lfiled March 15, 1915. Serial No. 14,510.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO C. CUNNING- HAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Norma, in the county of Scottand State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Perambulators, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to perambulators.

The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of a novelmeans associated with the wheels of the device for automaticallyimparting movement thereto in opposite directions so that the devicewill move back and forth over a predetermined length, thus providing aneiiicient device of this character whereby great labor and trouble areobviated.

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of an improvedmeans for mounting the automatically operating means in the frame of thecarriage in such a manner that when desired, the automatic operatingmeans will not interfere with the movingv of the carriage from place toplace by manual operation.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of an improvedmeans for transmitting power from the spring actuated driving shaft tothe driven shaft, the transmitting means being peculiarly associatedwith the casing so that the automatic operation of the vehicle can bedispensed with, when desired.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of animproved gearing for engagement with` the driven shaft for alternatelyimparting movement to the carriage in opposite directions.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of anovel resilient means associated with the rear shaft or driven shaft forabsorbing the shocks and jars likely to be transmitted thereto uponmeshing of the intermittent gear therewith whn the device is beingautomatically operate A still further object of my invention resides inthe provision cfa device o-f the character described that is simple' inconstruction, eflicient in operation and one that can be manufacturedand placed on the market at a minimum cost.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scopeof my invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims fo-rming a part of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side .eleva-I tional view of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view of my invention, illustrating especially theconstruction of the intermittent gear as well as the means for removablymounting the gears on the rear axle or driven shaft for obviating shocksand jars likely to be transmitted thereto upon the meshing of the gears;Fig. 4: is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a compartment forreceiving the means for transmitting power from the driving shaft to thedriven shaft, the dotted lines showing the position assumed by the meansfor maintaining the gears out of mesh with each other when it is desiredto use the device in the ordinary manner; Fig. 5 is a fragmentarytransverse sectional view illustrating to advantage the improved meansfor controlling the transmission of power to the carriage wheels, thedotted lines indicating the position assumed by the improved means whenthe device is being used in the ordinary manner. e

t Referring more particularlyto the drawings in which similar referencenumerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the differentviews, I provide a carriage comprising a body l, having a bottom 2, sidepieces 3 and end pieces 4, the body being rotatably supported by meansof wheels 5 rigidly carried on the rotatably mounted forward aXle 6 andrear aXle or driven shaft 7.

In order to automatically actuate the carriage alternately in oppositedirections, I have rotatably mounted a shaft 8 through the lower portionof the front end piece 4L and a suitable bearing 9 carried on the undersurfaces of the bottom 2, the shaft 8 being arranged longitudinallythereof and having its respective terminals 'extending through and beingpositioned beyond its journals. Disposed yabout the shaft 8 whichconstitutes the driving shaft of the carriage is a coil spring 10, oneend of which is rigidly connectedl tothe shaft; the other end of whichis rigidly connected to the forward end piece as illustrated toadvantage in Fig.

2 of the accompanying drawings. A crank 110 handle 11 is removablyassociated with the projecting end of the shaft and constitutes asuitable means for rotating the shaft and consequently winding thespring. A large gear 12 is rigidly mounted on the opposite projectingend of the shaft, the gear extending through transverse slots 13 in thebottom and positioned partly within the rectangular casing 14C in therear end of the body.

In order to transmit powerfrom the driving shaft 7, .I have rotatablymounted another shaft 15 in the casing, one end being journaled withinthe peculiarly formed opening 16 in one end of the casing, the oppositeend being rotatably mounted in the controlling means for thetransmission means, the construction of which controlling means is to behereinafter described. A pinion 17 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 15and arranged in mesh with the large gear 12 so that when the shaft 8 isrotated the gear 12 will consequently rotate the shaft 15 through themedium of the gear 17. Also mounted in the shaft 15 in spaced relationto the pinion 17 is another gear 18 which is arranged in mesh with thepinion 19 rigidly carried by a stub shaft 20 rotatably mounted inbearing brackets 2l, Asecured to the under surface of the bottom aboutthe transverse slot 22 through which operates the pinion 19. This stubshaft 2O projects beyond one of the bearing brackets 21 toward thedriven shaft 7 and has rigidly mounted thereon my improved intermittentbeveled gear 23, the gear operating in a transversely extending slot 24in the bottom 2. The beveled gear 23, which is automatically rotated,alternately engages the beveled gears 25 and 26 disposed on the axle 7and arranged within the longitudinally projecting terminals of thetransverse slot 24. In order to absorb shocks and jars likely to beimparted to the gears 25 and 26 when they are meshed by the intermittentbeveled gear 23, I have disposed coil springs 27 about the rear axle ordriven shaft 7, the respective ends of which springs are rigidlyconnected to the shaft 7 and the respective gears.

In order to control the transmission of power from the driving shaft tothe driven shaft, I have provided my hereinbefore mentioned controllingmeans, which in this instance consists essentially of a substantiallyrectangular plate 28, one end of which is pivoted by means of a suitablefastening device 29 to the inner surface of the rear end of the bodywithin the casing 16, the opposite or free end of the plate beingprovided with a longitudinally arranged slot 30 in which is engaged thelaterally extending lug 31 of the key 32 rotatably mounted in anypreferred manner in the rear end of the body, the linger pieceY of thekey being arranged exteriorly of the rear end so as to be readilyengageable by one hand of the operator when desired. Since one end ofthe shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in the opening 33 in the pivotallymounted plate 28, it will be readily appreciated that when the key 32 isrotated, the free end of the lug will engage the Lipper side of the slotthus swinging the. plate upwardly about its pivot and consequentlycausing the gear 13 to be disengaged from the pinion 19. When thecontrolling means is in this position, the body may be moved in anydirection in the usual manner through the medium of a handle 3i whichextends upwardly and rearwardly from the sides 3, care being taken thatthe intermittent beveled gear be arranged when the controlling means isbeing actuated in such a manner that the teeth thereon will not beengaged by the beveled gears 25 and 26.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming that it is desiredto automatically acuate the carriage back and forth over a predeterminedarea of ground, the crank handle 11 is rotated so that the spring 10 canbe wound. The key 32 is now actuated so that the shaft 15 will movedownwardly causing the pinion 17 to engage the large gear 12 on thedriving shaft and the gear 18 to mesh with the pinion 19 on the stubshaft whereupon rotary motion is consequently imparted from the shaft 8to the shaft 15 and thence to the stub shaft 20 through the medium ofthe gears in the manner mentioned. The intermittent beveled gear carriedby the stub shaft consequently alternately engages the yieldinglymounted beveled gears 25 and 26. Assuming that the intermittent beveledgear 23 is being rotated in a direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.3, the teeth thereof being in mesh with the beveled gear 26 cause thesame to move rearwardly, which rearward movement lasts until the teethof the beveled gear have become. disengaged from the beveled gear 26duringits rotation, whereupon the teeth of the intermittent beveled gear23 will now engage the beveled gear 25 and cause the same to moveforwardly, thus producing aydevice that is automatically operated toalternately move forwardly and rearwardly over a predetermined area ofground obviating inconvenience and forming an efficient labor savingarrangement.

Although I have shown'and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I desire to be understood that I am not to be limited to theexact details shown; however, I desire that great stress be laid uponthe novel means for automatically actuating the carriage through themedium of the intermittent gear forward and backward over apredetermined area as well as the novel imparting power from the drivingshaft to the driven shaft or rear axle. Great stress is also laid uponthe means for controlling the transmission of the power between thedriving and the driven shafts.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it can easily be seen that I have provided a device that issimple in construction, containing but a few simple parts that can becheaply manufactured and assembled and when assembled can be placed uponthe market and sold at a minimum cost. y

It will be understood that the above description and accompanyingdrawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of myinvention and that various minor changes in detail of construction,proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope ofthe appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantages of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A perambulator including a driving shaft rotatably mounted thereon,resilient means for actuating the driving shaft, a

driven shaft, means for transmitting motionv from the driving shaft tothe driven shaft for intermittently engaging the driven shaft forpropelling the body forwardly and rearwardly during the operation of thedriven shaft, shock absorbing means associated with the driven shaft,and means for controlling the operation of the transmitting meansbetween the shafts.

2. A perambulator including a body, forward and rear axles rotatablymounted thereon, wheels carried by the axles, a driving shaft rotatablymounted on the body, means for transmitting power to the driving shaft,said rear axle constituting a driven shaft, an intermittent gear fortrans# mitting motion to the rear axle for alternately moving the bodyforwardly and rearwardly during the operation of the driving shaft, andmeans for controlling the actuation of the intermittent gear. 4

3. A perambulator including a body, forward and rear axles mountedthereon, said rear axle constituting a driven shaft, wheels carried bysaid axles, a driving shaft rotatably mounted on the body, a coil springdisposed about the driving shaft, means for winding the springconsequently imparting power to the driving shaft, a` rotatably mountedintermittent beveled gear, means for transmitting power from the drivingshaft to the driven shaft for removably disengaging the transmittingmeans from the intermittent gear for propelling the vehicle alternatelyforwardly and rearwardly, and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for means for controlling theoperation of the driven shaft.

4. A perambulator including a body, forward and rear axles rotatablymounted thereon, said rear axle constituting a driven shaft, wheelsrotatably mounted on said axles, a driving shaft, a stub shaft rotatablymounted on the body, an intermittent beveled gear carried by the stubshaft, a rotatably mounted shaft arranged above the driven shaft, andoperatively and removably connected with the driven shaft and with thestub shaft for transmitting motion from the driven shaft to the stubshaft to consequently cause the intermittent beveled gear to rotate thedrivenshaft for propelling the vehicle alternately forwardly andrearwardly.

5. A perambulator including a body,for l.

ward and Vrear axles rotatably mounted thereon, said rear axleconstituting a driven shaft, a driving shaft, a stub shaft rotatablymounted on the body between the driving and driven shaft, anintermittent beveled gear carried by the stub shaft and adapted forimparting an alternate rotary movement to the driven vehicle shaft,another shaft rotatably mounted above the driven shaft, and arranged totransmit motion from the driving shaft, and means for moving the lastmentioned shaft upwardly out of operative connection with the shaft topermit of the use of the perambulator in the usual manner.

6. A perambulator including a body, forward and rear axles rotatablymounted thereon, said rear axle constituting a driven shaft, beveledgears yieldingly mounted on the driven shaft, wheels rotatably mountedon the said axles, a driving shaft, means for imparting power to thedriving shaft, a large gear carried by the driving shaft, another shaftrotatably mounted on the body, a pinion carried by said second mentionedshaft for engagement with the large gear, another gear mounted on saidlast mentioned shaft, a stub shaft mounted on said body, a pinioncarried by said stub shaft for engagement with the gear on the secondmentioned shaft, an intermittent beveled gear carried by said stub shaftfor alternately engaging the beveled gears on the rear axle for movingthe vehicle forwardly and rearwardly during the operation of the drivingshaft, and means for moving' said second mentioned shaft to disengagesaid gears and pinions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO C. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

EARL DYER, W. H. TAYLOR.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

